By: Rachel Pulaski
On Friday, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper (D) signed a bill that repeals the 2006 law, SB06-90 . The bill required police to alert federal authorities about suspected illegals living in the US. The bi-partisan supporters of the repeal said the law made immigrants afraid of law enforcement.
Fox News Latino reported:
Those who wanted the law repealed argued it made immigrants afraid of police. They also say the law is now duplicative because a federal program checks fingerprints during arrests to check immigration status.Proponents of such laws say that the federal government has failed to control illegal immigration, forcing states to take matters into their hands. The U.S. government has tried to fight such laws, and argues that immigration is a federal issue.Colorado’s law, known as SB-90, required police to report people they arrested and they suspected to be undocumented to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“As immigrants become more and more involved in our civic life, they are having a greater impact on elections and legislation and they are voting for politicians that support issues that are important to them,” said Miriam Peña, executive director with the Colorado Progressive Coalition. “This bipartisan vote on the Trust Act tells me the growing influence of Latino and Asian immigrants is changing the political dynamic in Colorado.”
On Wednesday, the Colorado state Senate approved a bill allowing illegals to obtain drivers licenses. If passed, Colorado will be the 5th state to give illegals driving privileges.
Daily Caller reported:
The Colorado state Senate has adopted a bill making it easier for some noncitizen residents to obtain drivers licenses, a move that a Republican opponent equated to providing amnesty for illegal immigrants.
“I think a more appropriate title would be the Colorado Amnesty Act, because it is providing a means to be legal, at least on the road when driving, when the individual is in fact not here legally,” said Sen. Kevin Lundberg during the debate on Wednesday. “It is a major step towards amnesty, and that is the concern that I have.”
But bill sponsor Sen. Jessie Ulibarri said the bill is aimed at a narrow segment of the population, such as noncitizens who are in the United States on legal work visas or whose legal status has lapsed because of backlogs in Washington, D.C.
